Environmental Racism and the Fight for Justice in America

By Darius Spearman (africanelements)

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KEY TAKEAWAYS
Environmental racism leads to higher exposure to hazards in communities of color.
The Flint water crisis exemplifies systemic neglect of marginalized populations.
Cancer Alley showcases the health risks from concentration of petrochemical industries.
The environmental justice movement emerged from civil rights activism.
Climate change disproportionately affects low-income and communities of color.
The Green New Deal aims to address environmental issues while promoting justice.

The Fight Against Environmental Racism: Exposing America’s Dirty Secret

Environmental Racism: A Legacy of Injustice

Environmental racism, identified in the 1980s, refers to how communities of color face more environmental hazards than others and often get left out of important environmental decisions. This harmful discrimination connects deeply to America’s past of segregation and practices like redlining. These actions keep poverty and health issues widespread in Black and Brown neighborhoods.

Communities of color often live near toxic waste sites, landfills, and industries that pollute. According to a 2018 study by the Environmental Protection Agency, Black Americans face 1.54 times more exposure to fine particle pollution than the general population. This exposure leads to more respiratory illnesses, cancer, and other health problems (Envirionmental Protection Agency).

Flint Water Crisis: A Modern-Day Environmental Justice Catastrophe

The Flint water crisis is a blatant example of environmental racism. In 2014, Flint, a predominantly Black city in Michigan, switched its water source to the Flint River without properly treating it. This switch led to lead contamination, harming thousands, especially children.

Officials ignored reports about the water’s color, smell, and taste for months. The crisis revealed not only negligence but also a lack of care for a marginalized community’s health. Even now, the city deals with the lasting impact of lead poisoning and distrust in government agencies (NDRC).

Cancer Alley: Louisiana’s Toxic Corridor

Along the Mississippi River, from Baton Rouge to New Orleans, lies “Cancer Alley.” In this region, over 150 petrochemical plants and refineries surround mostly Black communities. Residents face cancer risks 50 times higher than the national average, according to the EPA (ProPublica).

This concentration of polluting industries didn’t happen by chance. Discriminatory zoning and exploitation of Black communities led to it. Despite protests and lawsuits, new petrochemical plants continue to emerge, worsening these serious environmental challenges.

Environmental Justice Movement: Grassroots Resistance and Empowerment

The environmental justice movement began to confront the unequal environmental hazards affecting communities of color. It is rooted in the civil rights movement and addresses the mix of race, class, and environmental issues.

1. The 1982 Warren County protests in North Carolina against a PCB landfill, regarded as the movement’s start.
2. The 1991 First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit created the “Principles of Environmental Justice.”
3. The 1994 Executive Order 12898 signed by President Clinton directed agencies to consider environmental justice.

These actions have raised awareness and sparked some changes in policies, but the struggle for justice against deep-rooted systems continues.

Climate Change: The New Frontier of Environmental Racism

As climate change worsens, it doesn’t affect everyone equally. Low-income areas and communities of color usually feel the impact of extreme weather first and hit hardest by rising sea levels and heat waves. Moreover, they lack resources due to past disinvestment.

The NAACP found that 68% of Black Americans live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant, compared to 56% of White Americans. Closer proximity means more exposure to pollution and climate-related dangers (NAACP).

Understanding Disproportionate Exposure

Communities of color in the United States face higher levels of environmental pollutants than other groups. Studies show that Black and Hispanic communities are exposed to more pollution than they produce. For instance, Black Americans experience 56% more pollution than they cause, while Latinx Americans face 63% more (Environmental Racism in the United States – Dogwood Alliance). In contrast, white Americans are exposed to 17% less pollution than they generate.

This disproportionate exposure leads to severe health consequences. In the Bronx, known as Asthma Alley, asthma hospitalizations are five times the national average (Modern Examples of Environmental Racism in the U.S. – Commons). Moreover, residents in Pahokee, Florida, suffer from respiratory distress due to pollution from sugar field burning (Environmental Racism: Examples Across the United States).

Communities of color often live near toxic waste facilities. For every Black or Hispanic person in the U.S., one lives within three miles of a Superfund remedial site, according to the EPA (Environmental Racism: Definition, Examples and Prevention). Consequently, these communities face higher risks of cancer, developmental disorders, and other health issues.

The Intersectionality of Environmental Racism

Intersectionality is the interconnected nature of social categorizations like race, class, and gender. In environmental racism, this means that communities of color are affected by both racial and economic factors. For example, wealthy Black families are more likely to live next to waste sites than low-income white families (Environmental Racism in the United States – Dogwood Alliance).

Historical practices like redlining have created lasting inequalities that intersect with environmental issues. Formerly redlined neighborhoods often have higher temperatures, fewer green spaces, and more pollution (Racial Disparities in Urban City Planning: “Environmental Racism”). As a result, residents in these areas face increased health risks.

The intersection of race and class is evident in the placement of industrial facilities. Companies often target communities of color because they are seen as less likely to resist due to limited resources and political power (Environmental Racism: Definition, Examples and Prevention).

Legal Strategies and Corporate Accountability

Legal strategies play a crucial role in addressing environmental racism. Activists use environmental laws to hold polluters accountable and protect marginalized communities. However, enforcement often falls short. For example, in Uniontown, Alabama, the EPA deemed coal ash nonhazardous despite its dangers, leaving residents unprotected (Environmental Racism: Examples Across the United States).

Fines for environmental violations tend to be lower in communities of color. This makes it cheaper for corporations to pollute these areas, perpetuating environmental inequities (Racial Disparities in Urban City Planning: “Environmental Racism”). As a result, companies lack incentive to follow regulations.

To improve corporate accountability, stronger regulations and better enforcement are needed. Community involvement in decision-making processes is essential. Ensuring that corporations are held financially and legally responsible can help prevent future harm (Environmental Racism in the United States – Dogwood Alliance).

The Green New Deal and Beyond: Envisioning a Just Transition

To fight environmental racism and climate change, lawmakers and activists push for the Green New Deal. This plan envisions a shift to a clean energy economy while ensuring environmental justice. It aims to:

1. Invest in sustainable infrastructure and clean energy jobs.
2. Support a fair transition for workers moving from fossil fuels.
3. Tackle the environmental issues faced by frontline communities.

However, critics say it doesn’t fully dismantle the systemic racism that fuels environmental injustice. Achieving real justice requires restructuring our systems to focus on marginalized communities and the planet over corporate profits.

Holding Polluters Accountable: Legal Strategies and Community Organizing

Environmental justice advocates increasingly use legal actions to hold polluters responsible and get remedies for affected communities. Examples include:

1. The lawsuit against Chevron for pollution in Richmond, California, ended with a $5 million settlement and a promise to cut emissions.
2. The ongoing struggle against the Dakota Access Pipeline, risking the water and lands of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

These legal fights, often led by grassroots teams, show the strength of community organizing against environmental racism. Yet, they also stress the need for stronger rules and enforcement to prevent damage before it occurs.

The Road to Environmental Justice

The struggle against environmental racism is still ongoing. It involves a wide-ranging approach that looks at environmental laws and the underlying racial and financial inequalities that sustain environmental injustice.

As we tackle the pressing threat of climate change, we must amplify the voices of communities of color, always at the forefront of these battles. True justice can only be reached by dismantling the structures of white supremacy and corporate power, leading to a fair and sustainable future for everyone.

FAQ

Q: What is environmental racism?
A: Environmental racism refers to the disproportionate exposure of communities of color to environmental hazards and their systematic exclusion from environmental decision-making processes.

Q: What are some examples of environmental racism in the U.S.?
A: Examples include the Flint water crisis, where lead contamination affected predominantly Black residents, and Cancer Alley in Louisiana, where Black communities face significantly higher cancer risks due to nearby petrochemical plants.

Q: How has the environmental justice movement evolved?
A: The environmental justice movement evolved in response to the unequal impact of environmental issues on communities of color, with milestones like the 1982 Warren County protests and the 1994 Executive Order 12898 focusing on addressing environmental justice.

Q: How does climate change relate to environmental racism?
A: Climate change disproportionately affects low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, making them more vulnerable to extreme weather events and pollution due to historical disinvestment.

Q: What solutions are proposed to combat environmental racism?
A: Proposals like the Green New Deal aim to transition to a clean energy economy while prioritizing environmental justice for marginalized communities, although critics argue more systemic changes are needed.

Q: How can communities hold polluters accountable?
A: Communities can use legal strategies and grassroots organizing to challenge polluters, as seen in lawsuits against companies like Chevron and protests against projects like the Dakota Access Pipeline.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darius Spearman is a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College, where he has been teaching since 2007. He is the author of several books, including Between The Color Lines: A History of African Americans on the California Frontier Through 1890. You can visit Darius online at africanelements.org.